Agitator for washing machines



March 15, 1938. JQQNELSON 2,111,152

AGI TATOR FOR WASHING MACHINES Filed Dec. 25, 1955 Wrmass I ATT uRnEY Patented Minis, 193s UNITED STATES PATENTQFFICE AGITATOR mafig e mos I I Jabez Curry Nelson, Syracuse, N. Y., Easy Washing Machine Corporation,

N. Y., a. corporation or Delaware assignor to Syracuse,

My invention vrelates to washing machines, and, n1ore particularly, to a novel agitator or dolly therefor.

An object of my invention is to provide an agitator for a washing machine which is adapted to cleanse the clothes thoroughly in a minimum length of time.

Another object of my invention is to provide an agitator for a washing machine adapted to be oscillated in a washing vat, the agitator having a central portion and blades so constructed and arranged as to cause a turbulence of the clothes and washing fluid and a thorough intermingling of the clothes and washing fluid whereby new clothes surfaces are constantly being presented to the action of the agitator.

More specifically, my invention contemplates the provision of an agitator for a washing machine in which the central portion is rather large in diameter at the top and tapers downward and inward, and in which the blades are curved around the surface of the central portion and are inclined with respect to a normal to the'central axis of the agitator whereby when the agitator is oscillated, a. violent turbulence of the clothes and washing fluid occurs and the clothes are washed thoroughly and in a minimum length or time.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be more apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which: i

Figure l is a view showing my novel agitatorand indicating the vat in which it is operated.

Figure 2 is a view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure l; and V Figure 3 is a view taken on the line M of .Figure l.

The agitator of my invention is adaptedto be mounted in a vat or tub ii in which the clothes and washing fluid are placed. The washing vat may be of any desired shape, either square or, as shown in the drawing, circular in cross section. The agitator, generally indicated by the numeral i2, is preferably mounted centrally of the vat it and is driven'by a shaft 63 extending upwardly through the bottom of the vat. Suitable means are provided ior supporting the agitator and enabling it to be driven by the it ill. Such means -may be similar to that shown and described in a co-pending application of Peter Eduard Geldhoi, filed December 18, 1935, rial No. 55,050 and which has become Pat. No. 2,094,559, Sept. 28, 1937. The shaft 53 may be While I have shown suitable source of power, not necessary to be shown or described herein since such driving the art to which this the shaft is driven to drive the agita- 5 mechanism is well known in invention applies. Preferably, in an oscillatory manner so as tor through an arc of degrees, more or less,

and at. a speed of somewhere between fifty and sixty oscillations per minute.

The agitator l2 comprises a base it which is mounted close to the bottom of the Vet l l and-has m upwardly and inwardly sloping side walls It and a substantially horizontal top surface ll so that the base is substantially in the form of a frustmm of a cone. Extending upward from the horizontal portion ll of the base. it is a central body 15 portion It for the agitator. The central body portion 68 comprises an upwardly and outwardly flared surface which extends upward substantially the height of the agitator and at its upper end, as at 19, is curvedoutward to form a sharply 2G flared portion 2i which merges into a top plate 22. the central body portion of the agitator as being substantially an inverted cone and I have found that the best results are secured when the central body portion is stantially that shape, it may of course, if desired, be made cylindrical or otherwise shaped to cooperate with blades 23. V

The blades 23, preferably three in number, in the preferred form of the invention extend from 39 the top of the central body portion to the bottom thereof. In order to secure the desired action of the agitator, the blades preferably curve around the central body portion substantially in the form of a spiral, the inner edge 26 of the 35 blades describing a substantially spiral line. on the surface of the central body portion; Preferably, also, the blades are inclined with respect to a normal to the axis of the agitator and preferably the directlon or inclination throughout each 40 of the blades is in a direction downward from the normal to the axis. That is, in any vertical section through the axis of the agitator the line formed by the blade is angularly displaced downward from a normal to the axis of the agitator as drawn through the intersection of the line formed by the blade and the central body portion. The angle of inclination may be constant throughout the length of the blades but preferably the angle or inclination gradually decreases from the top so to the bottom of the agitator, the inclination being approx 15 degrees at the top of the agitator.

e the blades of the agitator arepreferably both curved around the surface of the central so Of Sllb- 25 body portion of the agitator and inclined as above described, and I have found that the best results are secured when the blades are thus formed, it is of course apparent that the spiral arrangement of the blades may be used without inclining them with respect to a normal to the axis, or the spiraling of the blades may be omitted and the blades may be simply inclined with respect to a normal to the axis. Preferably, the blades are made considerably wider at the top of the agitator than at the bottom. The blades merge into the part 20 of the central body portion and flare outwardly below that portion of the central body and attain their maximum width slightly below the section line 2--2. From slightly below the section line 2--2, the blades are gradually narrowed toward the bottom of the agitator where they merge into the horizontal portion ill of the base.

' It will be particularly noted that each of the blades is curved on the surface of the central body portion in the same direction and inclined with respect to a normal to the axis in the same direction so that the agitator. is symmetrical in appearance and pockets 26 are formed extending lengthwise of the blades, each of which faces in the counterclockwise direction. A cap 21, which may be of any desired shape, is fitted to the top of the agitator and may be held in place by any suitable means.

When the vat is filled with cleansing fluid to the level of the plate 22 and the agitator is uscillated, as above described, the clothes and washing fluid are violently agitated and a considerable turbulence thereof results. When the agitator rotates in the clockwise direction, the clothes are thrown outward toward the sides of the vat especially near the top of the agitator and upon reversal, possibly because of the partial vacuum created in the pockets 26 when the agitator is rotating in the clockwise direction, the clothes are drawn inward from the sides of the vat toward the agitator. Accompanied by this movement, there is a general tendency for the clothes I in the region of the top of the agitator to move outward toward the sides of the vat, then downward and inward toward the agitator, and then upward near the central portion of the agitator. Near the surface, because the sides of the blades, upon which the pockets 26 are formed, are more effective than the opposite sides of the blades, the clothes appear to move in a counterclockwise direction. This counterclockwise movement of the clothes, while not existent to any considerable ex, tent, is sufiicient to insure that the clothes periodically change their relative positions in the vat so that newclothes surfaces are constantly presented to the action of the agitator. During the above described action, the blades cause a considerable thread-deforming action on the clothes, particularly when an article of clothing is caught in a pocket formed by one of the blades and is carried backward and forward in accordance with the oscillations of the agitator.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made in the form of the agitator and relation of parts thereof without departing from the spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a washing machine of the type wherein a washing element is mounted for oscillatable movement substantially centrally of a vat con taining clothes and washing fluid, an agitator comprising a base mounted adjacent the bottom oi the vat, a central inverted substantially coneshaped body portion extending upward from the base substantially to the normal surface level of cleansing fluid, and a plurality of blades extending downward along said body portion and being curved around the body portion in a manner such that the lower ends of the blades are advanced a substantial distance around the body portion from the upper ends.

2. In a washing machine of the type wherein a washing element is mounted for oscillatable movement substantially centrally of a vat containing clothes and washing fluid, an agitator comprising a base mounted adjacent the bottom of the vat, a central inverted substantially coneshaped body portion extending upward from the base substantially to the normal surface level of cleansing fluid, and a plurality of blades extending downward along said body portion and being I shaped body portion extending upward from the base substantially to the normal surface level of cleansing fluid, and a plurality of blades extending downward along'said body portion and fun clined with respect to a normal to the axis of the agitator.

i. In a washing machine of the type wherein a washing element is mounted for oscillatable movement substantially centrally of a vat containing clothes and washing fluid, an agitator comprising a base mounted adjacent the bottom of the vat, a. central inverted substantially cone- .shaped body portion extending upward from the base substantially to the normal surface level of cleansing fluid, a plurality of blades extending downward along said body portion and being curved in the same direction around the body portion in a manner such that the lower ends of the blades are advanced a substantial distance around the body portion from the upper ends.

JABEZ CURRY NELSON. 

